University of Colorado administrators plan to adopt a campus-wide smoking ban this week that, once enacted, will be enforced through education and self-policing, rather than tickets.

CU officials said Monday that Chancellor Phil DiStefano is currently reviewing the policy and is likely to sign it by Friday.

Once the policy is signed, the campus will begin a six-month education phase before implementing the ban in the fall. Administrators said even after the ban is in full effect, offenders will never be ticketed for smoking.

"This is going to be handled in the same way we handle any of our other policies," said Louise Vale, vice chancellor for administration. "Like, you can't smoke inside the campus buildings, and, every once in a while, you see that and then just ask them to leave."

The policy leaves the campus community responsible for enforcing the ban by asking students, faculty and staff to educate smokers and ask them to put out their cigarettes, Vale said.

A Community Health survey in 2011 found that 60 percent of CU students said they have never smoked a cigarette. About 20 percent of students said they have smoked in the last 30 days, and 6.5 percent of students said they smoke daily, according to the survey.

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CU junior Elizabeth Jameson said she's been smoking daily for about six months and a campus smoking ban likely will not help her give up the habit.

"I'll still smoke, I'll just avoid doing it on campus as much," Jameson said. "I don't think it will change much for students, especially if they're not going to enforce it."

An implementation committee -- which Vale is part of -- will discuss materials to help educate the campus about the ban and other possible punishments for offenders once the policy is signed.

"There is a difference between no ticketing and no punishment," university spokeswoman Malinda Miller-Huey said. "We are not planning on having police ticketing, but someone could be in violation of the student code of conduct or employee rules, which will be decided by the implementation policy."

Vale said it could be months after the ban is approved before the implementation committee determines punishments and other programs related to the ban.

The committee is considering suggestions from other institutions -- including the Anschutz Medical Campus, which is currently tobacco-free -- such as informational signs, designated smoking areas during the six-month education period and cards that have information about the ban, which students can hand to smokers to avoid conflict, Vale said.

"As the Boulder campus, we want to be on leading edge of things," Vale said, adding that more than 1,100 colleges and universities across the country have either tobacco-free or no-smoking policies.

The Boulder administration was planning to move forward with a tobacco-free policy in the fall but changed to a no-smoking policy after the CU Student Government denied support for the broader tobacco ban.

Chris Scheafbauer, health and safety director for the CU Student Government, said student leaders were concern about banning chewing tobacco on campus since it only affects the person using it, while second-hand smoke can impact others.

"Some members felt like the tobacco ban was overreaching, but the smoking ban was reasonable because of second-hand smoke," Scheafbauer said. "It's the level of personal choice versus choices made for others in the case of second-hand smoke."

Scheafbauer will present more information about the ban and how it will affect students at Thursday's Legislative Council meeting at 7 p.m. in the University Memorial Center.

Putting the responsibility of enforcement on the campus community could result in a lifestyle change for some students, Scheafbauer said.

"It's about empowering the community and giving them a tool to enforce and advocate for their own health," he said.

The administration and student leaders said the education period will focus on helping smokers get connected to campus programs and resources that can help them quit smoking or adjust their habits while on campus.

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